Yesterday evening, one of the Toronto families that belong to the group of the COC's most longstanding supporters opened their home for us to host the launch of an exciting new membership initiative. The COC Ensemble Circle (EC) is our brand new and long overdue program for younger patrons. A few months ago we decided to create the EC in order to establish a stronger connection between our younger audience and the Company. The membership will include three operas, a ticket for our annual fundraiser Operanation and a number of special events throughout the year.

Working on establishing the EC over the past few months has been an extremely gratifying experience. The level of enthusiasm and commitment to the COC from our EC Committee, consisting of members with the most diverse backgrounds, has been fantastic. I'm very grateful for all your support and looking back at the success of last night's launch party I am sure the EC will be an amazing experience for everybody involved. The EC has the potential to become a great group of ambassadors for the relevance of opera and the COC. Exciting times ahead.

A very big thanks has to go to our special agents Ambur Braid and Wallis Giunta (and their great accompanists Akki Mackay, bass, and Patrick Power, guitar) who, with their smashing performance at yesterday's party, once more extinguished any doubt of opera being anything else but the most contemporary of art forms. You're amazing ambassadors of the COC and our art form as well.

On a different note I'm on twitter since yesterday as well. Follow me @alexanderncoc.